The theme of this year's competition was to find innovative ways to integrate productive activities in the city, such as energy, services and new industrial products – using this as a catalyst for place making.
The chosen site is a brownfield area located in a strategic position in the city of Linz, Austria, and part of ÖBB 's (the country's Federal Railway Company) real estate portfolio. The team's proposal impressed the panel by reinterpreting the brief and designing what was presented as an Innovation Ecosystem, FABLINZ.
Playing on "fab" as a short form of both "fabrication" and "fabulous", the project holistically addressed the theme of production by proposing both a physical masterplan as well as a strategy to implement a vision of shared knowledge and know-how, where the major players in the local and regional manufacturing and research panorama can meet grass-root enterprises, SMEs and local skills.
Taking inspiration from the surrounding fabric, FABLINZ offers a re-engineered version of the productive block, with a richer variety of spaces and opportunities for interaction. Housing, offices and retail seamlessly integrate productive activities and complete the on-site mix of uses.
More details on the project can be found at the following links www.urb.sedicigradi.com and http://www.europan.at/linz_e14.html
The team (URB) is currently working with ÖBB on detailing the process that will lead to the implementation of the proposal.